Volume 1.28 | Sep 25

‘Performance-Enhancing’ Boost Helps to Fight Infection Researchers have found that even our immune system is subject to performance enhancement, giving immune cells the boost they need to ensure the best team is selected to fight infections. Studying a type of immune cell called killer T cells, they showed how the body identified which cells were the most capable of fighting a particular infection. [Press release from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research discussing the online prepublication in Nature Immunology]Press Release|Abstract

Cellular Immune Correlates of Protection against Symptomatic Pandemic Influenza Researchers followed 342 healthy adults through the UK pandemic waves and correlated the responses of pre-existing T cells to the pH1N1 virus and conserved core protein epitopes with clinical outcomes after incident pH1N1 infection. Higher frequencies of pre-existing T cells to conserved CD8 epitopes were found in individuals who developed less severe illness, with total symptom score having the strongest inverse correlation with the frequency of interferon-γ+ interleukin-2− CD8+ T cells. [Nat Med]Abstract

IL-17 Cytokines in Immunity and Inflammation The authors summarize the recent findings in IL-17 biology and the progress towards understanding the regulatory mechanisms of IL-17 expression and signaling mechanisms. This knowledge will benefit the development of novel immune modulators that enhance immunity to various infections and reduce inflammatory damage in infected patients. [Emerging Microbes & Infections]Full Article

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UMB, MedImmune Form Partnership to Advance Biomedical Science and Innovation MedImmune and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have entered into a five-year, $6 million collaboration to drive novel bioscience research in Maryland. The research projects will focus on MedImmune’s core therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular and metabolic disease; oncology; respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; and infectious disease. [University of Maryland]Press Release

NIH-Funded Pandemic Preparation: Baylor Investigates Bird Flu Vaccine Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, along with seven other Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units, will take part in studies to test vaccines to protect against the possibility of a bird flu pandemic. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study being conducted at Baylor will recruit up to 1,000 adults nationally who are 19 to 64 years old and in good health. [Baylor College of Medicine]Press Release